Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour - Entry Tickets Included

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Edinburgh, Scotland

Very popular!

20+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Meagan_H ·

Jul 2026

Loved this tour! Campbell was a fantastic guide, full of enthusiasm and so funny. We heard some great stories, learned a bit of the history of the castle, and then were able to experience the space on our own. It was well-executed and easy to find the tour guides throughout the time together if we went off on our own a bit. Absolutely worth doing if you're visiting Edinburgh!

· Mike_W ·

May 2026

Wonderful tour! Steph was a terrific guide -- knowledgeable and very expressive (including her impersonation of appropriate accents!). Edinburgh Castle was (as always) very crowded but Steph found places somewhat away from the crowds to explain the history and significance of the important parts of the castle. She also provided excellent guidance on where else in the castle to visit once the tour was completed. All thoroughly informative and enjoyable.

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Overview

Discover more about Scottish history on this guided walking tour of Edinburgh Castle. Walk up the Royal Mile with your guide while learning about the castle's 3,000-year history and its role in Scottish heritage. Explore the castle grounds with detailed insights into key features like the one o'clock gun and Argyle Battery, gaining a deeper understanding than a casual visitor.

Learn more than you would exploring on your own
Enjoy in-depth insights into the history of Edinburgh Castle and its key features
Walk the Royal Mile as ancient royals did
Convenient meeting point near public transportation

What's Included

Local guide
Entry Fees

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Adam Smith Statue
192 Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1RF, UK
Tour departs from outside Café Nero on the Royal Mile besides the statue of Adam Smith. Just look for our green and white umbrellas with Little Fish logo and speak to our staff when you arrive.

End point

Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK

Itinerary

Meet your guide and group at a centrally located spot on the Royal Mile. Walk together toward Edinburgh Castle while your guide shares stories about the castle’s history and some of the key characters associated with it.

Upon arrival at Edinburgh Castle, use your prebooked ticket to enter. Your guide leads you around the sprawling grounds and provides more details about such notable features as the castle dungeons and Crown Jewels, as well as what to look out for inside.

Then, your guide leaves you alone to explore the castle buildings at your own pace.

Edinburgh Castle

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Although much of the tour is done inside the castle complex, this will not be under cover.
Bags over 30L in volume are not permitted inside the castle and the castle does not provide a locker system for the storage of luggage.
Service animals allowed

Tour DOES NOT MEET AT THE CASTLE, the tour begins from our start point at 192 High Street, by the statue of Adam Smith
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please Note - Children, aged 15 and under, will not be able to join the tour unless accompanied by a responsible adult
Edinburgh Castle is built on top of the core of an old volcano, the ground is often uneven and at times steep. Be prepared to be on your feet for the full duration of the tour. People with mobility issues may not get the most from this tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 5,617 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Big G was very...

JAMES_C, Aug 2026

Big G was very knowledgeable about our lovely country. Although I'm non verbal i can't say anything bad about the tour & guides

Highly recommend

Haya_A, Aug 2026

Sonia was amazing she was so informative and everything was well timed. We then got time to explore at our own pace as well.

Great history.

Jose_R, Aug 2026

Great experience guide was very informative. First time in Edinburgh and was happy with the overall experience.

Very historic and...

Kathryn_L, Aug 2026

Very historic and interesting. Our tour guide “Big G” was fantastic! He knew many stories and facts the you wouldn’t get if you toured in your own.

Ok, but not amazing

Tara_Z, Aug 2026

It was ok but not as good as other historical tours we've done in the UK. The information seemed pretty basic

Well organized and easy...

Rodd_F, Aug 2026

Well organized and easy to follow. Booked it online and ran exactly to time. Maybe get there a little early as the Royal Mile is very busy as is the Castle. A big thanks to Jess our guide. Very knowledgeable and great character.

A tour with a Scottish tilt

Chris_B, Aug 2026

Jess was awesome. She definitely knew her stuff. Her well animated story about the Battle of Flodden was excellent. We were hoping to get a sense of the history of Scotland from a Scottish perspective and very happy with what we got out of the tour. Would definitely recommend it

Excellent & Worth the money.

Sue_H, Aug 2026

Excellent tour - Ben was funny, personable & very knowledgeable. We gained a great understanding of the castle and are very happy we chose this tour.

Guided Tour Castle Edinburgh - Top Top Guide 👌

Heinz_P, Aug 2026

1 1/2 hours lasting tour with a very kind and nice tour guide, called Matthew. The guide was clearly speaking - which was most likely due to his education as an actor - and had interesting things to tell not only about the history of the castle, but also nice and gorgeous background stories. Time was flying and we can say that we definitely gained a very very good overview about the numerous buildings on this site.

Max provided a great tour...

Robert_J, Aug 2026

Max provided a great tour with stories with good context to History and dates. Good amount of time provided.

Great Edin Castle Option

Margaret_D, Jul 2026

Spectacular tour with spectacular tour guide- she had so much knowledge and a great sense of humor. She was from the Highlands. The tour started outside the castle on high street, then we went through the castle grounds- learning about the history and importance of what we were seeing (humorously). During the tour of the grounds, our guide advised us of what specific buildings/exhibits might be good to see, and what to see in each, which was so helpful- the Castle grounds are very large. We booked a tour earlier in the day- which we’d reccomend because it started to get busy midday. We spent about an hour after the tour touring the Crown Jewels, jail area, etc. Would definitely reccomend getting a guide and ticket this way.

Exceptional Castle Tour

Kevin_B, Jul 2026

The tour was so informative and Jess our guide was fantastic. Hearing the history about the castle enhanced our experience. Thank you 🙏 Jess !!

Ideal For a quick overview

Annie_Z, Jul 2026

Perfect pace of walking for a family! Incredibly informative and entertaining! Our guide helped us to know what to look out for and tips on how to extend our visit to the castle.

A wonderful workout

Shelley_L, Jul 2026

This is a very informative walk through the castle at a brisk pace. The weather is cooler at the top than at the bottom, bring a second layer.

Queen Jess

Stuart_B, Jul 2026

Our travel guide Jess was very informative & brought a bit of fun to the tour & made sure we were where we needed to be

Excellent tour of the...

Sean_M, Jul 2026

Excellent tour of the castle by Max , who may have lived there in a previous life . All the information we needed and presented in a informative and at times humorous way . Highly recommend .

Great tour, great guide

Amy_M, Jul 2026

Max was fantastic: knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. Tour group size was larger (maybe 20-25 people), but Max was loud and inclusive. Highly recommend.

Ask for Max!

Mary_S, Jul 2026

A lot of walking over cobblestones but opportunities to rest while max did an amazing job of giving us history lessons! Humorous and factual and definitely passionate about his job. Ask for Max!

Funny Tour with Little Fish

Philipp_B, Jul 2026

We was leaded by the guide trought old town an castle ground. In the Castle Buildings aren't any guided groups allowed. Nevertheless it was very informativ and Max told us many funny and interessting stories about Edinburgh an castle.

Great tour

Victoria_H, Jul 2026

Really fun and informative and it kept us all intetested! Campbell is extremely talented at story telling and kept us interested for the entire 11/2 hours! It went by soo quick!

Graeme was great....

Lynn_O, Jul 2026

Graeme was great. Informative, funny and knowledgeable. The Castle was amazing and easy to get around.

Thrilling tour

Laslo_V, Jul 2026

Max has a real knack for captivating people with his humor and his knowledge of Scottish history! He's simply the perfect person for the job. Highly recommended and a highlight of our trip.

Wonderful tour

Christian_B, Jul 2026

It was a wonderful experience, truly amazing site and Matthew our tour guide definitely added to the experience with his knowledge of the Castle and its history. His story telling was amazing, especially when he got into character. Definitely a tour to take.

Skip it and go do the...

David_J, Jul 2026

Skip it and go do the Hollyrood castle on your own. Crowded, the guide just stayed outside and pointed at where things were.

Fantastic Tour

Wiiliam_H, Jul 2026

Good history about the Edinburgh Castle and the rooms were absolutely fantastic i.e. the chapel, the great meeting room, the crown jewels, the memorial castle. Jess our guide was so witty and knowledgeable that she really made the tour memorable

Edinburgh castle tour

Andrew_H, Jul 2026

The tour was great and our guide Koffe was very knowledgeable along with being very entertaining. He took time to answer any and all questions and in general made the tour more enjoyable with his joyous attitude.

Well worth it

Rachel_M, Jul 2026

Campbell was our guide. He was friendly, funny, informative and knowledgeable. The meet up spot on the Royal Mile was easy to find and convenient.

Ben was a wealth of...

Debi_G, Jul 2026

Ben was a wealth of historical knowledge combined with a great sense of humor intertwined with current references, we thoroughly enjoyed our tour. I highly recommend this tour. It is well worth your time and money.

To the Castle!

MaryAnne_P, Jul 2026

Wonderful way to see Edinburgh Castle. Our tour guide Ben C was wonderful-especially helpful when one of our tickets was misplaced! So much history to share. Really enjoyed it!